Cinderella: A Fashionable Tale

Cinderella wants nothing more than to go to the ball, but she doesn’t have a thing to wear! This classic fairy tale of the young servant girl who experiences a magical night and finally finds her prince receives a fresh and modern retelling from illustrator Steven Guarnaccia. Guarnaccia’s stylized illustrations give familiar characters new life

Overview

Cinderella wants nothing more than to go to the ball, but she doesn’t have a thing to wear! This classic fairy tale of the young servant girl who experiences a magical night and finally finds her prince receives a fresh and modern retelling from illustrator Steven Guarnaccia. Guarnaccia’s stylized illustrations give familiar characters new life with a fun, fashion-forward look, using apparel and accessories inspired by some of the most famous fashion designers of the 20th and 21st centuries. Young readers will delight in the bright and beautiful illustrations, and fashion enthusiasts will enjoy the references to well-known haute couture designs, including a Vivienne Westwoodinspired ball gown, a rag dress of patched-together designer patterns, and Prada-inspired crystal slippers. Includes endpapers that detail the different featured designs as well as the year they were made.

Praise for CinderellaSTARRED REVIEW "A crisp, modern take on the oft-told tale: deliciously subversive and visually captivating. Chic and sophisticated, a delectable homage to fashion." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"This title will be appreciated by children and adults who are captivated by the world of fashion and who will find inspiration for creating their own designs." --School Library Journal

Editorial Reviews

School Library Journal

01/01/2014Gr 1–4—The Three Little Pigs (2010) was a vehicle for Guarnaccia to explore architectural styles; in Goldilocks and the Three Bears (2010, both Abrams), he decorated a split-level with famous pieces of modern furniture. Here, the subject is haute couture. A Twiggylike heroine is attended by a miniature fairy godfather-Karl Lagerfeld's doppelgänger. The drama reaches its zenith when Cinderella tries on different options for the ball. She chooses a Vivienne Westwood: the "Statue of Liberty Dress" (England, 1988). Part of the fun is looking at the labeled designs on the endpapers and matching them to their appearance within the story (or on the pages of Guarnaccia's other titles). A large, vertical trim size and white backgrounds throughout allow the fashions to pop. Visual humor, found in the appearance of the three stepsisters, especially a spread featuring one enormous foot, lightens the mood. The text is bare bones; it concludes with the brief mention of Cinderella's marriage. The author chooses not to depict a designer wedding dress, much less decide on the fate of Cinderella's horrible family. Thus, other renditions of the story would be more satisfying for connecting to archetypal characters and a more fully realized romance. This title will be appreciated by children and adults who are captivated by the world of fashion and who will find inspiration for creating their own designs.—Wendy Lukehart, District of Columbia Public Library

Kirkus Reviews

★ 2013-12-24A crisp, modern take on the oft-told tale: deliciously subversive and visually captivating. Electrolux vacuum in hand, this Twiggy-esque Cinderella is fresh, bright and absolutely unexpected in her patchwork shift (of designer patterns). Here, the confines of fairy-tale dress are shed, and the Perrault story becomes the perfect vehicle to celebrate fashion—and the real-life mavericks who redefined beauty in the 20th and 21st centuries. Done in an Art Deco style with pencil, pen and watercolor, the artwork is reminiscent of fashion illustrations, with its exaggerated proportions and use of color and pattern. And Guarnaccia's simple, sophisticated drawings imply a luxuriousness brought to life. Young fashionistas will delight in the fabulous, ponytailed fairy godfather who offers up haute couture designs, as well as the gorgeous endpapers that denote the famous designs found within: Yves St. Laurent, Bally, Christian Dior and more. Chic and sophisticated, a delectable homage to fashion. (Picture book/fairy tale. 4-8)

Related Subjects

Meet the Author

Steven Guarnaccia is an associate professor of illustration at Parsons The New School for Design in New York City. He is the author of numerous books, and his art has appeared in many national and international publications. He lives and works in New York City.